The first time Hyukjae and Donghae got a good close-up view of each other’s faces was when both of them were pointing their respective weapons at each other’s faces. Certainly not a romantic first meeting but it gave both of them a good look at just who they were up against. By now Hyukjae had encountered this crew of Pirates several times over a span of months, he didn’t count how much but it sure as hell felt like the months had grown into years. He had even managed to learn some names of a few key members of the crew.

--

Donghae was speeding down the narrow alleyway, having just wrecked and set fire to a small house behind him he had felt someone creeping onto him. Too bad the alley he headed down had a dead-end; he huffed and spun around, wide intense stare fixed onto a certain face he did not want to see.

Certainly not.

“O, it’s ye again.” He drawled, looking exceedingly bored as he shrugged “ do we really have to do this? Again? I feel bad with the constant slashes I leave on yer purdy face, aw and look, ye still got some scars by yer jaw.” He lifted his sword in Hyukjae’s direction “come on now, we both know how it’s gonna end.”

“No we don’t really have to do this.” Hyukjae responded with a tired sigh, because honestly, that damned sword gave the Pirate a huge advantage over him, even though he was the one with the revolver in his hand. Keeping it aimed at Donghae’s forehead he took slow, calculated steps forward, the Pirate was clever though, he did not back into the wall and stood his ground as slowly the distance in between them closed

“All ya’ gotta do is just drop that long- blade of your’s and we can talk it out, over tea, in my office.” Hyukjae saw Donghae rolled his eyes.

“Did ye just ask me out?”

Hyukjae shrugged, the corner of his lips turning up slightly “ If that helps you come along, then ya’ sure, I’m askin’ you out and I’ll be heartbroken if you—“

“No can do, cowboy.” Donghae cut in, those kohl-lined eyes dropping to Hyukjae’s toes and slowly travelling up to meet the light brown eyes as if studying him “Must say, ye ain’t bad. Though you got to work on where you ask me out to, I sure ain’t goin’ anywhere near an officer’s place. Instead why don’t ye’ just come along with me to my ship and I’ll take ye’ for a romantic sail down the sea.” Chocolate orbs glinted with mischief as Donghae smirked, noting how the distance constantly kept closing in. This was not good; he needed to keep a good amount of space if he was going to escape this time.

He hoped that like all ‘last times’ Hyukjae would not pull the trigger on him this time either, the Sheriff actually had hesitated shooting at him.

“No thanks, I get sea sick” Hyukjae figured after a few more steps he could bolt and tackle the pirate, he just needed to be super careful about that dammed sword.

He saw donghae’s eyes darting around a bit before focusing back on him, the pair of eyes glinted a strange orange as the flames from the house set on fire reflected in them. In all honesty, Donghae had gathered his interest in a rather special way. Those eyes had always been so expressive that Hyukjae would be tempted to read into them, Donghae’s assertive and loud personality would just tickle his curiosity.

“Don’t in’ look at me like that.” Donghae had snarled at him, eyes ablaze as his body language went from slightly tensed to entirely defensive.

“Like what?” Hyukjae challenged, interesting pitching up as Donghae narrowed his eyes “Like ye can in’ look into my soul.”

A quiet chortle escaped hyukjae’s lips “ Oh? That would be a problem, hm? I must say, I’ve always been interested in reading people but you are just something else, so simple yet so complicated.”

“Stop in’ readin’ me you scallywag!” Donghae was practically shouting, that cool he had previously was now gone and the Pirate was oozing with hostility as he took a threatening step forth.

Hyukjae pursed his lips “No can do, sailor boy, once I start chasing you, I won’t stop” maintained his position, body tensed, shoulders slightly raised under his dull brown and hastily zipped leather jacket.

Donghae’s brows twitched at his movements, sensing danger  of being cornered in he snarled “Oh no you don’t” he sprinted, lunging forth he slammed his body into Hyukjae’s who had tried to make the other slow down by firing in his general direction, keeping his aim away from the Pirate’s body, he didn’t want to spill unnecessary blood.

Of course the Pirate didn’t fear the bullet, the two went tumbling back, Donghae on top and straddling the officer, both hands pinning Hyukjae’s arms down  as he sat on his stomach, his sword clattering by their side as donghae growled into Hyukjae’s eyes “I’ve ended lives, yer life is no different, so back off, ye rat!”

“You’re wide open” Hyukjae drawled in his heavily accented voice, Donghae’s raised a brow only to groan and fall forward once Hyukjae’s knee painfully hit him in the back, that gave hyukjae enough time to turn the tables by flipping their positions.

Now he was on top of the Pirate who glared up and began to wither and squirm ferociously “Get yer hands off of me!”

“Surrender!”

“Not even over me dead body, get off ye bas—“

A heavy clang that sounded after which soon Hyukjae ‘s face crumpled in pain before he fell like a sack of potatoes and that’s when Donghae was able to finally wriggle away.

“Seemed like ye needed some help, hot-head” Kyuhyun smirked, flipping the frying pan he had just hit Hyukjae’s head with.

“Don’t get full of yerself mate, come on let’s scram.”

Kyuhyun’s hand on his shoulder stopped Donghae who shrugged it off, feeling irritated enough.

“Let’s take him along, hm?” Kyuhyun’s eyes gleamed but donghae shook his head “ No to that, just leave him be, hope he’s dead” he cast a detesting look down at the motionless figure of Hyukjae.

--

Hyukjae smiled up at the ceiling of his small room as his fingers gently ran through his hair, having felt the bump on his head had memories flooding back of the origin of that bump. Back then he had certainly not known that he and Donghae would become a lot more and mean so much to him that Donghae’s absence would become hard to deal with. Farewells were always hard for them, full of doubts and sorrow. Hyukjae always made a point to keep things real, which included never denying his gut feelings or development of certain feelings. And he just did not even bother shying away from the fact that his interest in Donghae was growing. Sure being a high ranked officer included him being able to read in criminal minds, to be able to think like a criminal and forecast their moves, understand motives in order to pounce and arrest criminals accordingly. So of course this certain crew of pirates became his subjects, he studied them, soon he could recognize faces, men he had sent in as spies began to start a flow of information. Those faces got names and personalities.

That’s when he got to meet a personality and face called Donghae. He became Hyukjae’s favorite subject to study. Donghae was fire one moment and ice the next, Donghae was thunder and lightning, donghae was a rumbling earthquake and a vicious cyclone, donghae was quest and Hyukjae was the seeker. Donghae had risen from being just another criminal to someone Hyukjae held close to his heart. Human psyche had always interested him, but the manner in which Donghae carried himself, how he talked, how his kohl lined eyes would scream and how he would show a split second of something akin to insecurity before rage would possess him and he would become a sword swinging monster, earning him the title of one of the Most Wanted men around. His head had a large price in the neighboring towns.

That night two restless souls, yearning for each other yet drifting apart lay in bed, sleep nowhere to allow them relief of being with each other in their dreams. The future was as unpredictable as ever; all they could trust was their bond that had constructed itself in such a manner that they became each other’s greatest strength as well as the greatest weakness.